Money Bought
by Tigre
Summary: It all started with a dare that the bookworm couldn't get a date...then things take a turn for the better. Being sworn enemies, they soon discover that forbidden love is the strongest, and admiration very quickly can turn to love.
1. Bet

Money Bought

Author: Tigre

Rating: PG-13.

A/N: Back to the writing board! Seriously, I can't GO back to the drawing board because I cannot draw for beans. ^_^ Well…this should be funny. 

Hermione Granger was a studious young girl, getting all A's at her 6 long years at Hogwarts. She was the sort of person that if you cheated off of her, you were guaranteed perfect marks. You were also guaranteed to get a long lecture about how important it was to do your own work. Not the type of person you expected to go out on a late Saturday night and party until she hit the floor.

Hermione was also the girl that nobody expected to get married. She was passionate about nothing, except for maybe her homework. All of the girls in her year would either frown upon her for being brainy, or scowl at her for being a teacher's pet. Either way, it was kind of hard to tolerate.

That was why, she decided as she walked into the 6th year girl's dorm one Saturday evening at around 9 o' clock, she needed a change. Flopping down on the plush bed, she picked up a dog-eared book from the nightstand, and began to read. It was 'The Phantom of the Opera', one of Hermione's all-time favourite stories.

She heard giggling coming from the other half of the dorm. The noise was high-pitched, and quite deafening. Hermione groaned. It was none other than the notorious Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown. They had probably just gotten back from a perfectly happy snogging session with their boyfriends, and were going to yammer on about it for the rest of the afternoon. Just what Hermione wanted.

She caught glimpses of their long chat, trying unsuccessfully to get submerged in her book. "And then…" Parvati's voice travelled across the room and bounced back off of the walls, "He said I had never looked more beautiful. I said that he looked drop-dead handsome, as always. We kissed, and it was wonderful…"

"Yeah, Parvati. Whatever you say!" Squealed Lavender, and they both broke into another fit of the giggles. Apparently, this was some sort of inside joke. The giggles stopped gradually. "You're lucky that your date with Dean went that well. Mine with Seamus was a complete and utter disaster! I mean, he talked about how much he loves Quidditch! Everyone knows that dates are meant for some serious snogging, and every minute wasted is absolutely precious!" They started laughing again. Hermione made a desperate attempt to cover her ears with her pillow- she had no desire to hear of such fanciful, romantic happenings- but failed pitifully.

There was some uneasy silence. The girls had not realized that Hermione was there. What if she exploited all of the information she had gotten? After all, they had seen her in class- the brainy one, soaking up information like sunlight. Parvati and Lavender could just see the end results of this catastrophe. They would have at least fifty points from Gryffindor, for sneaking out after hours. 

"It's all right. I won't repeat the details I unfortunately had to hear," Hermione stated sarcastically. "why would I want to repeat anything about a wild snogging session when I am having trouble even knowing that?" 

"Because…well, because you're _Hermione._ You're a perfectly good candidate to be Head Girl. If McGonagall or any of the other teachers knew that you were keeping secrets, you wouldn't BE head girl. Your spotless name would begin to rust away, and anything that Ron and Harry were to do, you would also be blamed." Lavender's words cut caustically. The blade that she had given the wound with was rather dull, but sliced quite deeply. 

Hermione stood standing, looking stolid. She didn't know whether to yell at Parvati and Lavender for their ditzy remarks, or to cry. She had never thought of herself as a snitch- she didn't go off telling secrets all of the time- but then again, there was that whole incident with the Firebolt back in third year…

"I wouldn't do that, Lavender. I wouldn't bring myself to tell on someone for just having a little bit of fun. If you sneaked out every single night, then I might consider informing McGonagall. By the way, my reputation is not spotless. It does have little specks of dirt on it, and I am not sorry that it is tarnished. So, therefore, keep on talking about your happy, monogamous relationships. But, if anyone asks my input if Harry and Ron are in any means cute, I say NO." With that, Hermione flopped back on her bed, and commenced to read.

Lavender and Parvati's voices were hushed this time, but she caught that they were talking about her again. They snickered occasionally, but Hermione let this cruel laughter bounce off of her like water does from a duck. She couldn't get immersed in her book. Hermione knew the tale by heart, of how Christine Daae had to choose between her true love and being blown up, but somehow the horridness of it all wasn't consoling.

Parvati piped up again. "Hermione, what would your type of man be? You know, the one that you go out with…" 

Hermione's face was frozen into astonishment. Many times she had considered the question, and not come up with any straight answer. For one month, it had been someone like Ron, kind, loving, humorous, and cute. Another time, it had been Harry, chivalrous, mysterious, adventurous, and just…spur of the moment attractive. Once, Hermione was afraid to say, she had fancied someone rather like Malfoy or Snape, enigmas.

She rolled her eyes. "Okay…that's a tough question. I don't know…someone who's intelligent? Handsome? Romantic?"

Parvati and Lavender scoffed. "So, you'd go out with a guy like Percy Weasley, right? Intelligent, bookish, ugly , boring…Or would you rather go out with someone like, oh, I don't have any idea, Draco Malfoy? I mean, he is pretty smart, but he also looks great in leather, and he has the whole tough-guy aura around him!"

"Are you sure that this is Draco Malfoy that we're talking about? He also looks great in ferret skin, we all have to remember that." Hermione shot back. She did too have taste in guys! So what if she didn't want to have a huggy-kissy relationship any time soon? Contrary to the saying, love did not make the world go 'round. She could be just fine without a boyfriend! As a matter of fact, better than fine! There was nothing that made Hermione sicker to her stomach than the type of muggle romance novels in which every other word is kiss, hug, snog, or something to that equivalent.

Deep down inside of her, Hermione wanted a boyfriend. True love was something that she had read about many times in all of the stories she cherished, and she would love to experience it. But love was meant for the beautiful, not for the intelligent. It was true that in the movies, most of the time you saw the pretty, petite blonde girl falling for the handsome, dark man. They got married about a day after they met, and had loads of kids. The man had lots of money, so the blonde wife didn't have to do anything except for worry about her new pedicure.

Her heart ached every time that she went to a dance at Hogwarts. There were so many happy couples, all whispering lovingly to one another. The words a loved one said to their soul mate were precious. There was so much gossip at these dances, about who was going out with who. Ron and Harry would occasionally be asked to dance by a blotchy-faced Ravenclaw, or a completely smitten Hufflepuff, but would refuse for Hermione's sake. They didn't want to see their best friend unhappy, after all. Not once was the girl in the periwinkle blue robes ever asked. Her hair was always in place, makeup was sparingly applied, but not one boy noticed.

The uncomfortable, depressing train of thought had been formed when the talk had ceased. It was as easily broken as it was made. "Okay, Hermione. Since Lavender and I are really bored, we have a bit of a dare for you. We're offering to pay you 40 galleons if you go out with someone for at least a month. The bet will be raised if you go out for longer than a month, let us give you a makeover, or do some of the Bonuses. The catches are, it can't be Harry or Ron, and it has to be a guy that we approve. Every kiss is worth around 2 more galleons, a snogging session is 5, rumours are worth 10, and dancing is worth 12, for all slow songs. Do you accept? Because, if you do, and you lose, you have to do our homework for at least a month, and pay us 40 galleons." Parvati smirked, apparently happy with herself. This could be fun.

Hermione's temper flared. She could, probably, go out with any guy that she wanted to at school! She just never had the desire for a moonlight stroll. She was seeking a change in the doldrums of her life, and having an exciting, wild, uncontrollable ride on the roller coaster of love was just what the doctor ordered. And, as an added prize, she would get paid at least 40 galleons for it.

"You're on, Parvati and Lavender!" She exclaimed with great drama. "When Hermione Rie Granger takes a bet, rest assured that she never loses!"

Parvati and Lavender smiled at one another. "40 galleons and homework-free nights, here we come!" They grinned mercilessly. All was fair in love and war, and this was a combination of both.  
***

A/N: The song in this is "Money Bought" by the great Canadian rockers, Nickelback! *Most people will know them for their song "You remind me"* I was thinking about this very plotline the weekend before 9/11, when I was in Canada, but never managed to write it. J All Draco fans should be happy that there is going to be lots of Draco in this story! Seriously, the guy's one of my favourite characters. Tom Felton rocks. So does Alan Rickman. I'm done babbling now. Please R&R, and tell me what you think about this story! Any other spontaneous questions will be answered in the next installation, coming very very soon!

__

Peace out, minna-chan!

  
~* Tigre *~


	2. Contemplations

Money Bought- chapter two

Author: Tigre

Rating: PG-13!

A/N: Thank you to the kind reviewers! Those who have motivated lazy ol' me definitely deserve kudos, in their figurative sense. (Meaning: You don't get the chocolate flavoured granola bars that are popular among the sugar high!) Okay…I'm done babbling. You all want to see what's to happen to Hermione, right? OF COURSE! WE ALL DO! To be honest, I really don't even know.

Dedication: For my friends. They know who they are, unless they have lost their identity. ^^

Disclaimer: If you ask J.K. Rowling's lawyers, they will probably be happy to tell you all about how these characters are not mine. They will also tell you something *hopefully* about the muggles lawsuit with N. K. Stouffer. *Go JKR! She is sooooo cool! Her birthday's a half a year away from mine, bet you didn't know that…but she is older than I am…a lot older…

***2 days later***

Monday morning rolled around, and the bet was all but forgotten. Hermione wasn't regretting the fact that she was flirting with disaster, but knew that if she failed she probably would never get a boyfriend.

In the two days, Hermione hadn't gotten any sort of list that she was promised. She began to contemplate about letting Lavender and Parvati map out her love life for her, but then again, they knew about boys from experience. The type of experience which almost never comes in handy in real life.

"Hermione, you still up for the bet?" Parvati asked her at breakfast. "Because if you are, I have The List." The last part of Parvati's speech was whispered. In a second, a piece of manila parchment was firmly placed in the palm of her hand. "You wouldn't want to be a chicken, now would you? Because, seriously, the first rule to getting a date is to NOT be a goody-two-shoes Gryffindor."

Hermione managed a slight smirk as she opened the note. If this bet did fail, she would have some major problems around school. Everyone would know that she was not "perfect", and, yet again, her squeaky-clean persona would be in the danger of being tarnished. One of these days, when she was actually Head Girl, she would have to try to be just as rebellious as everyone else- it sounded like a lot of fun. Ah, but who was to say that she was going to lose the bet? She would have to make sure that she won.

The vanilla-coloured letter was covered in Parvati Patil's trademark bright amethyst ink. Names of many of the…more interesting males of Hogwarts were scrawled over the paper. Draco Malfoy, Roger Davies, Blaise Zabini…they were all written down on the infamous record of "hot guys". 

'_Wonder what Mr. Ferret would say if he knew that a lot of 'measly' Gryffindors happened to think that he was the least bit attractive._' Hermione's thoughts were rather sardonic, but after looking at this list, she felt perfectly well like being a heartless brat. None of the guys on the "drop-dead gorgeous" register had even a sense of personality. The one thing that they had was cold, hard cash, and tons of it. Maybe it was the fact that all of the men had loads of galleons invested in famous wizarding wear that Parvati was attracted to these dementor-like souls. Either way, Hermione sure as heck didn't think that they were nearly as attractive as they were made out to be.

A high, valley girl-esque broke into the figurative pensive of Hermione's thoughts. "Okay," It commanded, "Now all you need to do is choose one of the guys from the list, and owl them. Notes really are a lot more effective in cases like these. It gives the object of flirtation time to think about going out with said flirt, instead of direct, on-the-spot asking out. If I were you, I'd choose Draco Malfoy. Then again, Blaise is probably the most like your type of man."

Hermione's very blood curdled. She knew Blaise, the one Slytherin who would dare to be at least remotely intelligent. It was probably because of his Egyptian-Greek good looks that he was on the list, not because of his brains. Or maybe it was because of his money. The Zabinis were nearly rolling in galleons, and if they decided to , could fill 3 swimming pools with the vast amounts of currency that they'd acquired. Either way, she found him very boring, and arrogant as heck. He was one of those people who, if they were strong enough, would throw a dagger your way.

She spoke up for herself, not letting her self-esteem be knocked down as easily as a chess piece. "I'll pick who I want, thanks. Trust me, when I owl the person, Parvati, you and Lavvie dearest will be the first to know." _Besides Harry and Ron, of course, _she thought to herself. The inner blondes didn't need to know that she was going to tell her best friends instead of the betters.

"You better be telling the truth, because if you aren't, you lose the bet. By the way, I really could change the rules at any time. We didn't pen them down, did we? Something is best legal when it's signed. Blood is best. Anyway, if you lie, you've got to pay us eighty galleons on the spot, for being a coward. That's Hufflepuff fare. The first makeover session is coming up really soon, and you've got to go. Seven o' clock, Saturday night. So that you could look nice for your date." Parvati shot back.

"Date? Saturday night? With…some unknown stranger? We never agreed to the first part, there."

"SO? You implied it yourself, Hermione. All's fair in love and war. Meet you Saturday."

Hermione stalked off moodily towards her first class, Potions. It was Double, with the Slytherins. A perfect opportunity to decide if she really would consider Draco for the blind date.

****

"…Today we are having a chapter review over chapters 123-125, which you all read over the weekend. Tomorrow, we will be having a quiz. The only reason why I do these study guides is because that it's required. Trust me, it would be only so much easier if Professor Dumbledore and the Ministry let me fail everyone who deserves an F. That would be at least three quarters of the class. The bell curve is what is saving all of your necks." Professor Snape looked straight at Harry, Hermione, and Ron as he said his speech. .

The dull monotonous notes of Professor Snape's speech melted into a grey sort of oblivion. Hermione spent most of the class wondering about the bet. It wouldn't matter. Potions was something that she could easily pass without a scratch. She'd read the chapters three times each, she didn't have to pay attention.

'_Look at him, Hermione. Draco Malfoy, the person you NEVER thought that you would be gazing at during Potions, let alone any other class. Admire the way that his light blond hair shades those gorgeous pewter eyes. The way that the slender fingers gracefully grip the peacock quill. The steadiness of his left hand as he writes. The way that the black robes that he is wearing contradict his pallor. Face it, Hermione. You already knew well before this morning with the list that Draco Malfoy would be your choice, No, you don't know why, but that's what you are going to figure out. He is an enigma. Until you find out who he really is, the female population of Hogwarts will always be misty-eyed over him. That wouldn't be good because girls would always be considered idiots.'_

"…MISS GRANGER!" Snape roared, the sharp British accent reverberating against the stone walls of his dungeons. "What does a formula of Beeswax and a infusion of Ambrosia make? If you don't know, there will be an additional 10 points from Gryffindor, including the 15 I already marked you down because of your daydreaming!" Snape snapped, pacing at the front of the room.

Hermione was still Hermione, after all, and she knew the answer. She was no fool, of course she'd read the chapters. "A formula of Beeswax and an infusion of Ambrosia make a MindErase potion." She smirked as the many emotions flitted across the potions professor's face until he decided on a cold smirk. 

******

Later on, when all of the classes were done, Hermione decided to start on the letter. After double-checking her options, she had finally decided on Draco Malfoy. Contrary to his marks, he seemed very intelligent. So was Blaise, but Blaise would never talk about anything remotely interesting. Honestly, the man called weather fascinating!  
She picked up a cerulean quill and cream-coloured parchment. Hermione found her rare sapphire ink, and began to write. If she was going to scribe a love letter, she might as well do this properly.

The letter read:

__

Dear Draco,

I don't know how to really phrase this, but I think I love you. You are by far the most interesting, enigmatic student at Hogwarts. Basically, I was wondering if you would like to go out with me or something like that. I know that we have gone against each other in the past, but we are older and mature now. I have seen that some things do get better-with time. 

Sincerely,

Hermione Granger

Hermione peered down at the letter, admiring what she had wrote. She was happy with the note, until she got to the last line. "…Some things DO get BETTER IN TIME?" Hermione said out loud, appalled. Was she…flirting? Ugh, because if that one line was flirtatious, Hermione was likely to be very ill. She was also talking about Draco Malfoy, too, who made her cringe. 

'_Honestly though, where did all of this mush come from. Hermione, you're anti-romantic. When you see people slow dancing, you have to rush right away to the girl's bathroom, otherwise you'll puke. But, you wrote this love letter to someone that you loathe. Maybe this makes you a hypocrite.'_

Slowly, Hermione walked down to the owl post, folded letter in hand. She had to mail the piece of sap. She wouldn't let Parvati and Lavender best her. Hermione picked out a great snowy owl to send to Draco. "I hope he likes it," she said with a sigh. Her mind flinched at such remarks. What had become of her lately? Or, more importantly, what was she going to become? Another hopeless girl? She certainly hoped not.

__

***

A/N: Whoo hoo! Chapter two is done! I promise that chapter three will be out sometime after Thanksgiving. It all depends if you review or not. *..* Thanks to: Angel, *hoped you liked this chapter*, Ankle *anime fanfics rule, okay? So does Hotaru.* Kiki *hope that this chapter was as cool as the last* , Ohimesama Shinigami *Princess Goddess Shinigami, right? Like I said, I know about anime! ^^;* The Strange One *You like my writing style? (squeaks) That's so totally awesome…* Myanda-*It's coming along, slowly but surely…* maxcat2564 *There is gonna be a lot more, I promise!* The Soul Innocence-*Of course this is going to be a great story! J/K! I think it will be though…* pretty babi- *Thank you!* Lily Shouk- *Well, believe it or not, Parvati and Lavender are based on some people I know…J * Draco's girl-*Lots more* anna- *I think that this was interesting* black coffee-*I'm planning for both of them to not really fall, but a love/hate relationship. Those rock.* draco's gurl- *We all like to dream about Draco in leather! But no, Draco isn't going to be a fluffy marshmallow. Mainly because fluffy marshmallows are a cliché by now. I personally like Draco more than Hermione…* Fro Potter- *Well, he's Tom Felton!* Lavender Gold-*We'd all like to think that Tom Felton was ours…* OVERALL I GOT 16 REVIEWS! If you liked this one, mosey on over to my other story, Eclipse! *..*

A/N2: Did you all like this chapter better? *Raises hand* ME! ME! I liked the whole Draco thing! Next chapter Draco is actually gonna get into the story! *..* Or, so I hope. Unless my mind decides to pull a spur of the moment thing…okay, people! I'm done babbling, so review! Any questions will be answered next chapter. Any comments, good or bad, will either be cherished, laughed at, or given to the Weasleys to warm their house in the winter. ^^! 

_Peace out, minna-chan!_

~*Tigre*~


	3. Return to Sender

Money Bought- chapter three!

By: Tigre! 

Rating: PG-13, as always!

A/N: I got 37 reviews! Holy potato! *really don't ask* That's more than I've ever gotten on one story! Hopefully, if I can stand to sit down and write for long, this chapter will be out by Thanksgiving so that you all have something to be thankful for while eating the dry, gross turkey your relatives make you eat. (J/K)

Disclaimer: JKR owns all things Potter-ific. I own plot. No, you can't buy that from me. ;) If you want though, you can borrow a Twisted Plot Theme…© me, Tigre…

Dedication: For me mum, because I know that she will read this and make me save it until I die! (Long story)

***

Monday afternoon quickly evolved into Monday night. Hermione didn't feel like going down for dinner. She still had the whole 'What if Draco says no' obstacle ahead of her. If he did say no, what would her backup plan be? Roger Davies was a guaranteed no, because he only liked girls who were supermodels. Zabini was another dead end. Draco was her one and only option.

"Hey, Hermione!" Cried Lavender as she and Parvati crept back into the dorm room. "Have you owled anyone yet? Like Parvati reminded you earlier, the makeover session is coming up. Saturday…at seven. Or you lose…"

Hermione gave them a snide look, and returned back to pacing the room. She had been walking the perimeter of the room for about a half an hour now, trying to sort out her thoughts. Had she really meant what she wrote in that letter to Draco? Or was it all part of a hoax, a cheap way to get a date? Either way wasn't very like Hermione Granger. But who, really, was Hermione Granger?

****

Soon, it was bedtime. Hermione half-heartedly changed into her mauve pyjamas and read her book. She couldn't concentrate. It had been 7 hours, over a quarter of a day since she had sent the letter, and no response. Hermione could picture the blonde-haired Slytherin rereading the love letter to his cronies, everyone laughing so hard that they cried. It would be very like Draco Malfoy, after all, to make fun of someone's emotions. _Maybe it's because he doesn't have any…_That was the last conscious thought her mind had. The world slipped away on the hooves of many a flying sheep, and darkness took over.

Sharp claws dug into Hermione's forearm at four in the morning. The piercing talons sliced through the thin, silky material without much effort. She awoke with a start, checking out the danger attached to her arm.

With eyes awake, she discovered that a very impatient owl had latched itself onto the middle of her arm. Hermione detached said owl, and opened up the plain envelope it had been carrying.

The letter read:

__

Malfoy Service for helping Insecure Girls

Slytherin dormitory, room 627

c/o Draco Malfoy

Dear Miss Granger,

Due to the number of requests Master Malfoy has at this time of year, he is sorry that he cannot be your boyfriend at this time. Check back at a later date, and he will be happy to be your gorgeous beau. In the meantime, however, why not try some of the other wonderful packages Master Malfoy has to offer:

* Yule Ball- willing to do 20-minute sessions with each girl. Will introduce self, then cordially walk away and never talk to the girl again. Cost: 18 galleons.

* Sunny Afternoons- willing to do 1-hour sessions staring out at the lake with each girl. Cost: 20 galleons, 5 for each kiss.

*ALL PRICES INCREASE BY 2-10 GALLEONS IF YOU ARE NOT IN SLYTHERIN HOUSE! QUANTITIES LIMITED!*

Sincerely,

Gillian Hughes

*Secretary of the Malfoy Service *

Hermione reread the letter, shocked at every single word that dared to peer out in its metallic silver glaze. She was beyond mad, she was livid. How DARE Malfoy to say that she was insecure? This was all some sort of prank, and it was on her. She had never felt quite as embarrassed.

Turning on a brighter light, Hermione slipped on a pink fuzzy bathrobe and left the room. She needed to talk to Malfoy, and now. Why would she honestly care if she got caught? She could simply say that she had to go to the bathroom. It might be interesting to dare a little on the wild side.

****

Okay, I know, really short chapter. Staccato-chapter. Well…it's your Thanksgiving present. J Next chapter, Draco actually will talk. He's already in the story, doy. Check on chapter two if you don't know at all what I mean. OOO. ;) I'm also posting this because most likely this weekend I won't be writing. Going away. 

Thanks to: Midgy *Untraditional pairings are my specialty.* GameGirl-*No box of chocolates, sorry.* Daredelvil-*I don't know if she's going to win the bet yet!* Toni- *Of course, eventually Draco and Hermione will get together.* Camille ^-~ *You adore this story? OMG, thank you for your review of this and Eclipse.* jessiCA- *Draco-next chapter-in person, wearing black pyjamas* The Strange One-*I was laughing when I made Hermione write the love letter too!* Lavender Gold- *Your stories are really cool! ^^ Very love/hate, for the Hermione/Draco-ness.* Amberblaze- *With 37 reviews, I would be insane not to continue this* bumblebee-queen-*Well, Hermione seems like the type to take charge of anything. ^^ I ROCK?! You rock for saying I rock.* DLJEWEL-* Thank you for thinking this was kewl* Lauren-*None of my friends agree with me either, they're all drooling after Sean Biggerstaff…* summer thyme-*Percy is actually not too ugly…I went to Chris Rankin's website…I'm obsessed.* GypsyJ- *The first good Potter fic you've read? Thank you! * Angel- * Thank you for the compliment!* Hermoninny Malfoy- *Well…I'm writing this every two days.* The Soul Innocence- *Was it a surprise what Draco said? I've been planning that part for a really long time* cammie-*Exactly, about the Hermione thing and the Lavender and Parvati thing. It just so happens that the valley girls at my school are the carbon copies of Lavender and Parvati.* kiki- *Like I said, hope you liked this chapter too…* ALEX- *LOL, I'll read the fics if my computer ever works correctly*

A/N: Thank you all reviewers! Until next time, I'll be thinking of clever Malfoyish insults while stuffing my face with pumpkin pie. 

_Peace out, minna-chan!_

~*Tigre*~


	4. After Midnight

Money Bought- Chapter FOUR!

Author: Tigre

Rating: PG-13.

  
A/N: I can't keep on spitting out chapters like this. It's not healthy. Expect the next chapters to be posted about once a week. ^^ It's not because of the 71! reviews that I've got, of course not. I'm perfectly happy with the reviews. It's because I am a person that needs to iron her stick-straight priorities! 

Disclaimer: HAH! You really think that JKR would let Draco and Hermione go out? No! That's called "Meddling with the HP plot!"

***

Hermione slipped down to the common room, not making any noise. Here was the crucial part of her plan. McGonagall's quarters were right around the bend, and if Hermione made so much as a microscopic squeak, she would probably be given a detention. 

Unnameable figures slouched on the overstuffed ruby chairs. The moonlight caught a bit of one's hair, turning it a bright russet. One of the people was none other than Ron. A chessboard was strewn over the table, ivory pieces snoring, suggesting that Harry and Ron had fallen asleep during a particularly boring game of chess.

At that point, Hermione felt bad. She hadn't told her best friends in the world about the bet. She knew that they would tell her off, call her a bloody idiot for making a deal with Parvati and Lavender. Maybe it was best that she didn't tell them- after all, she was sure that they had secrets that they didn't want to tell anyone else. Gryffindor virtues really could be a pain sometimes.

Tiptoeing down the large ivory staircase, she soon found the first level. Of course, she had no idea of where the Slytherin dorms were. Hermione suspected that perhaps they were somehow connected to Snape's dungeons, but didn't care to go on an assumption in case someone caught her.

She ran down the corridor, fluffy slippers making the lightest shuffling sound. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw signs flew by, the metallic paint glistening in an anxious blur. Hermione paused for a moment. Why was she out here? Would it really help her find Draco and give him a nice sliver of her mind about the letter? She was simply going out on instinct. Not Hermione-like at all.

After what seemed like an eternity, she reached the epitome of the Slytherin quarters. Something in a dark shadow blocked the entrance. What if it was Snape, and she would get caught? Oh well, Hermione should have thought of that before she left Gryffindor ground. 

"Look who it is! Hermione Granger, a perfect soul, sneaking out after midnight! Imagine that!," The figure stated, turning around so Hermione could see the person's face. Blonde hair covered half of his face. Dark pewter eyes rimmed with periwinkle peered out through translucent lids. None other than Draco Malfoy.

Hermione ran a hand through her bushy brown hair. "Look, Malfoy, I wouldn't be standing here, talking to your pretty-boy face, if you hadn't written me that little piece of crap letter. Explain."

Draco whistled under his breath, and pushed back the tousled platinum hair crowding his forehead. "Well, Granger, maybe it's because you have an ickle schoolgirl crush on me. That letter served for Slytherin entertainment tonight, Granger. I should be thanking you, actually, for giving me dirt on you. Thanks for the blackmail. Oh dear, but what shall you want for a reward?"

His comments were teasing, but Hermione kept as straight a face as she could. A smirk was apparent on Draco's face, hanging slightly lopsided. She snickered under her breath. If he only knew just how CONSTIPATED he looked…

Hermione held her head up high. "Malfoy, you are a bloody, arrogant idiot!" She couldn't think of anything else to say, so she angrily tossed a few strands of cinnamon hair over her shoulder.

"'Bloody, arrogant idiot?' God, Granger, I never thought that you were a potty-mouth. That stung. That really stung. Anyway, what do you want for a reward, dear goddess Granger? A snogging session with Crabbe? Or maybe Goyle? Hah, who knows, maybe even sexy me!" He sniggered. Draco's laugh wasn't of the common variety. It was long and low, with a trail of darkness at the end. 

"For one thing, Malfoy, I don't want a reward. I'm not the one with my mind in the gutter, thanks. For another, I don't care to snog any one of your piggish friends." 

Something rather sudden happened. "You never said me," Draco noted, being sly. It was at that time that Hermione realized that he was wearing black pyjamas, with silver gilding around the edges. It suited his very look. No, Hermione didn't fancy Draco-he was still a bratty git- but she admired how good black looked on him. 

"You know what the heck I mean, Malfoy."

"Actually, Granger, I don't. Love letter, remember? I'm being serious now. All of those services actually do exist. So, if you are desperate enough, for about 80 galleons, I will sit next to you by the lake. About 10 galleons more for each snog, because, quite frankly, you aren't the most gorgeous girl out there."

Hermione's blood boiled again. "Look, you dirty piece of used toilet paper, I need to go out with you. I made a bit of a bet, and you can get some of the Gryffindors off of your case. No more Parvati or Lavender staring at you during potions."

"Well, actually…" Draco sounded thoughtful. "I think I might do it. Who knows, Potter might die of shock from seeing his good friend go out with his good enemy!" He chuckled again.

Hermione smiled back at him, the grin fading in the tiny corners. Oh, how she didn't want to be around Malfoy when he was acting like a git. But she had to. 40 galleons was an awful lot of money, after all.

"Okay, Malfoy. I'll pay you 20 galleons if you go out with me. 5 galleons for each kiss."

"Make it…40 and you've got a deal. But first, you have to pass a little test of mine. It's one that you probably won't ace, Granger. I'm an expert. But we shall find out if the little goody-two-shoes is really such a goodie instead of a baddie."

Before Hermione could register it in her dim, half-awake brain, Draco came closer. She noticed that he was about half a foot taller than her. Draco placed his hands firmly on her shoulders, and kissed her. Hermione felt her cheeks turn a furious shade of pink, but she didn't care. Even the fact that she was locking lips with her archenemy really didn't matter. Hermione needed to win that bet, and she would do anything at all costs. And _man, _Draco was a good kisser.

He pulled away after what seemed like an eternity. Hermione, being an observant soul, noticed that his orderly blonde hair was tousled. It gave him a quite adorable surfer look. In her brain, Hermione hadn't yet quite connected the word "Malfoy" with the word "snog". Either way, life was a state of quasi-pure happiness. 

"You passed, Granger," Draco said as he turned back into the Slytherin dorms, "Passed with flying colours."

Hermione, still in her mauve pyjamas, placed a hand on her forehead. Oh God…this whole bet was going to be quite an adventure. Surprisingly, she was happy to be part of it.

***

A/N: Holy potato! I got 34 reviews on that last chapter. 

  
THANKS TO: ljp *Not you too! ^^ Anyway, Sean Biggerstaff is sort of cute…* ~*~Angel~*~ *Ooh…I think Draco was still Draco in this chapter…thank you. Because of course, Hermione and Draco need time to fall in love with one another. ^^* Chrissy *I know I'm mean, that's why I'm me! Hope that this chapter made up for the really short one* The Strange One *Hope my descriptions were good, LOL* …*I know it was short, sorry* Waldomier *I see no end to this insanity…* Aphrodite *Being original is being…me…* allee kat *It's up. Sorry I couldn't email you, I can't email anyone I don't know* GypsyJ *I felt really stupid when I was writing that metaphor, happy you noticed!* Draco's girl *Like I said, haven't given up on this yet* Mesia *I hurried, I think…* Starwriter *^^ I think most people want the sunny afternoons package* Fyre *You think this is good? Aw, shucks…* Lavender Gold *LOL, I read your story. Snape is sooooo cool!* Luna Daisy *^^! Thanks!* Baz *The wonders of not having spoilers, LOL* Zell'z Girl *Welcome to the 'We Love Draco' club* The Soul Innocence *LOL! I'm happy that this isn't typical* M…*Hogwarts motto rules* Tanwen *Cool name* Archangel5160 *You fell down on the stairs? That can't be good! Heehee…Gobble Gobble day!* DLJEWEL *Okay…like I said…a lot more…* Leialoha J. *Hmm…those ideas sound good. Maybe one will sneak its way into a chapter or something.* summer thyme *I'm sorry…you can't borrow 50 galleons from me. I, um, already spent one hundred…(Never MIND WHERE I DID! *^COUGH^ Sunny Afternoons…)* ALEX- * You like the Malfoy service? LOL.* Ryn *Um, who's Billy Idol? Sorry, it's just that as I type this, I am having a major 'blonde' moment. No offence* The_Lighter_Side_of_Darkness * I've always thought of Draco as the comedic type…* pika *Thanks!* Claire *^^ I hereby promise I will write more quickly unless the teachers give me too much homework* JessiCA* No, I'm sorry that Draco doesn't go out with anyone else when Hermione's going out with him* Lyndsey *Blaise is a girl? Where does it say that in the books? Well, anyway, let's just pretend that Blaise has a clone, and it's a boy.* Lavender Gold *Yes, he has his own service. It's obviously going to be of use! ^^*

A/N 2: Okay people, I'm depressed. Write me a happy review, please. The only thing that cheered me up was watching "Buffy" yesterday…Spike…

__

Peace out, minna-chan!

~*Tigre*~


	5. Last Night

Money Bought- chapter five!

Author: Tigre

Rating: PG-13!

A/N: Holy potato muffins! I got 135 reviews! EEEPPPPPPPPP!! Well, this is the chapter after the chapter-you've-all-been-waiting-for!

Dedication: For Cheetah and Panthre, because they are my friends and they read the story. Also because at our school, we are the only members of the Writing Club! WHOO! The Hamburger Helper, Bagel, and Potato LIVES!!! *Please don't ask…what you don't know cannot hurt you…LOL* 

***

The next morning, Hermione woke up rather early. Of all things, she was still in denial. The fact that she and Malfoy had snogged would probably take a few days short of eternity to completely digest. 

Hermione got dressed quickly, and walked quickly down the stairs to breakfast. She was almost sure that someone would come up to her and ask her if she was snogging with Malfoy. For that reason, she decided to keep an exceptionally low profile.

Sitting down next to Harry and Ron, she proceeded to eat her blueberry muffin. Parvati and Lavender were sitting across the table, giggling. They were also staring at Hermione in a rather awkward way. After about 20 minutes of this behaviour, Hermione got quite annoyed.

Suddenly, Lavender piped up. "Hey, Hermione, did you talk to *HIM* yet, like last night or something? Because if not, we'll have to talk to him for you." Lavender's cheery voice was edged with a frigid layer of sarcasm.

Hermione banged her fist on the table. "What would you know about last night?" She asked, scowl apparent. Harry and Ron were suddenly giving her very cold looks. Hermione really didn't want to be in this sort of situation, but she was stuck in a moment that she couldn't get out of.

"Last night? Why, did something *happen*, Hermione?" Parvati inquired, stifling her giggles long enough to spit out a sentence. "We're all ears!"

Hermione's cheeks darkened slightly. "Nothing happened," she said, and returned to stuffing her face with a few more blueberry muffins. After that, she turned on her heel and headed out the door. "And YES, Parvati/Lavender, I assure you that I will be at that makeover session and I WILL have a date with…HIM!"

***

Back in the common room, Hermione picked up another one of her favoured blue quills. This one was a nice midnight colour, it would do nicely for penning another letter. With a few quick swipes of a hand, the slight note was written and owled off to Draco. It plainly said that she wanted a meeting with him that Saturday at seven o' clock. 

Since it was Tuesday, Hermione did not have that much idle time on her hands. She really needed to go to class first thing. She checked her schedule and let out a stomp of anger. Double Potions with the Slytherins! Oh…how come that bloody subject called POTIONS always had to be at the time when she really DIDN'T need it!

Running a hand through her cinnamon hair, Hermione quickly decided what she would do if Draco approached her. At first, she decided to tell him off with a bit of attitude, but that really wouldn't work on the king of sarcasm. Maybe she would try the 'I'm avoiding you' approach, and not stare at his hideous face at all. That seemed like an all right plan. Her mind had been made up. She would avoid the notoriously good-looking Draco Malfoy at all costs- or have Snape scream insults at her. 

****

About a few minutes later, Hermione picked up her brown book sack and walked briskly down the many staircases to the epitome of the school. She saw some students wandering around the hallway, looking very plainly lost. Out of the corner of her ginger-coloured eyes, however, she saw a streak of silver-blonde hair. _Draco. _But really, what would he be doing about ten minutes early for class?

Draco saw her, and signalled so that they could talk. As she moved closer to where he was standing, Hermione stared down at her feet. She really didn't want to look Draco in the face, not after last night. He was shockingly handsome, indeed so, and Hermione knew that if she happened to catch his eye, they would probably snog for as long as first period. Not a good thing especially when your professor is a heartless git who doesn't know the meaning of the word "love". 

Hermione dared to lift her head just a bit, because it would be rude if she stared down at her feet while he was talking to her. As she did, a wave of thought overcame her. There was something different about Draco this morning. It wasn't his hair, it was still in the same surfer-messy style as always. What else could it be? You couldn't easily change the colour of your eyes-

_Dear LORD! _a voice screamed in the head of Hermione. _He's wearing leather pants! LEATHER! But why the sudden change in clothing? I mean, it's not like I don't appreciate the change, of course not…_Hermione's cheeks blanched at that thought. She was humiliated with herself for thinking such…_flirtatious _thoughts! She really should have left it to Parvati and Lavender to think about men from Slytherin wearing leather, NOT HER. Such ideas were best left to the internally blonde, not to the internally brainy.

"…Hermione, are you bloody listening to any bloody word that I have bloodily been saying?" Draco asked, arms crossed against his chest. It was at this time that Hermione noticed that Draco was wearing a dark blue muscle shirt. The whole outfit looked quite good on him. Brown, as disgusting as it seemed, really looked awesome on Draco.

Hermione, still quite alarmed by the entire situation, managed a feeble 'yes'. In truth, she wasn't paying attention to whatever he said, but Draco really didn't have to know that.

"By the way, Draco," Hermione said after her blushing cheeks had faded quite a bit, "why the sudden change in the outfit? I mean, normally you're stalking about moodily in all black, wearing a great sweeping cloak…"

Draco smirked. "I have my reasons," he phrased casually. Beginning to walk back to class, he whispered in her ear. "Last night changed everything, Hermione. I think that that's explanation enough." His lips quickly brushed against her cheek in a chaste kiss. With that, he continued his walk down to the dungeons.

Even more confused than she had been before, Hermione stood still in the same spot. Her hand came slowly up to her right cheek, where he had kissed her. Blushing furiously, she headed off to the dungeons, echoing in Draco's footsteps. She was going to be late, but so would Draco. The only problem was, what would everyone think of this?

***

A/N: Hahahahahha! As you can tell, I'm really having fun with this story. A lot of fun…that's why the whole Draco thing. He's not really being that mushy, people. ^^ If you're not happy, then I'm not jolly. Ho hum.

On a happier note…I got 64 reviews on JUST THAT LAST BLOODY CHAPTER! Now the big thank-you section! Mare- *thank you ever so much for the compliment…lol…spike…* kat *of course, I'll finish this* icestar *you think I'm one of the best? Thanks a lot! About the British slang- I'm not even British, I just know when to use it (I hope) and when not to. I have a new take on D/Hr? COOL!* Rhydia *Ever notice that Spike looks a lot like Lucius Malfoy…* Cheetah * Dang straight you shouldn't be thinking of Mr. Sherry, LOL…* selena * So I'm not the only one that says 'ja' a lot! Ja!* Lavender James * I have great writing skills? OMG! Thank you!* Aphrodite * This really would have come out a lot sooner if my darn teachers didn't all surprise me with evil quizzes and homework…grr…* Moopies *Maybe Spike and Draco ARE one and the same! LOL.* Amanda *I always say peace out, again, I thought I was the only one…* Jordan *I'm very very busy…hope this was quick enough!* The Soul Innocence * Setting a mini-Fluffy on me would scare me half to death, because I'm really scared of some dogs…* Laura *I like making people happy. At this rate, I think I might be a clown when I grow up…(j/k)* Anastasia *All of those awesome enough to review get their awesome name at the bottom, it's a really good policy* MrsPitt *D/H is actually a really original ship. It's one of my faves.* tickle the dragon *Sorry…I just think of Parvati and Lavender sort of as valley girls in comparison to Hermione…* Lavender Gold *Of course Hermione could lie her way out of the bet, but that wouldn't be much fun.* laura *Happy to know you love it so much, lol* Baz *I think he's had lots of girlfriends, after all, he's DRACO* bad grrrl *Draco-marshmallow= scary thought* Starwriter *I'm planning on being a fanfic author until the day that I die…* Midgy *This part was obviously an act, okay? Draco's still evil* rei *thanks* GypsyJ *Holy Potato? Have you started saying that with your friends? Because I do and they are really all annoyed by now…* digimonmatt *thank you* Camille *of course teachers are scary, that's why they're teachers* Chrissy *Aw…are you sure that will stick in the mind of all readers?* Gundamgurl *Thanks!* Cherry Blossom *D/H is my fave pairing too* mariella *exactly…there's the whole Blaise Zabini question…* summer thyme *Malfoy in PJ's, indeed…* hermoine angel * I don't know how their date is going to go yet…* level *40 galleons is what they are paying her…* LoPotter *Of course* Kelsey S. *Thank you* ~*~Angel~*~ * ^^ Thanks* Aurora *I will!* Jade * I'm like the biggest Draco fan ever…* Laureate *I'm no longer sad, LOL* Venus Saturnalia * Draco is an evil comedian…* Starwriter *Thanks* Carmen *I got this out as quick as I could* allee kat *Hermione and Draco will live on!* Arwen/Ginny *Happy you think this is interesting* kiki *I rock?* Tears of Ice * Thank you* Lighter Side of Darkness *I hope I'm keeping the characters in check* the Fallen Angel *Well, Hermione was sort of dragged into this D/H relationship* MistleToe * I'm a good author? Aw, shucks…* ~HermionePika!~ *No, the service is going to not be working for a lot of the story…* mickey *Hermione and Draco…will…get all the money they lost, trust me…* Aaliyah *I do cliffhangers because I can* ljp *My writing club teacher thinks I'm nutters because I really like Snape…* Jive *Whoo! In-characterness!* alexandrea * Hermione/Draco is unusual, yeah, but what's written is either really good or really cruddy* pika *LOL!* Aphrodite * We all love Draco and we would all like to marry him. Except for the few guys that read this, of course…* Draco's girl * Thank you!*

A/N 2: Wow! Thank you all the reviewers! If anyone wants to know anything about me, go back to my author page and click on the link! That way, you can tell me about any similarities you have with me! Trust me, I talk about a lot of really weird things that I like to my friends…* 


	6. Reflections of Hermione

Money Bought- Chapter SIX!

Author: Tigre

Rating: PG-13, as always…

A/N: If, in the last few chapters, I have offended blondes in any way, I am really really sorry. Why? Because if I was insulting blondes, I would be insulting the great JKR. (she has either strawberry blonde or dirty blonde hair) Also, this chapter is just a small piece of it. Only the first half, in a way. It's more reflections than anything. But no worries.

Disclaimer: Not mine, potatoes. Why? Because I really don't think that JKR would appreciate me mailing her only 25 cents, a lot of empty CD's, and yes, a mouldy potato for her life's work. ^^

Dedication: For Friends. They know why.

***

"Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, thank you for gracing us with your absolutely essential presence this morning. …A ten o'clock scholar indeed. " Snape's cold voice reverberated through the solid stone walls of the dungeon. 

"…Mr. Malfoy, what in the name of Merlin are you WEARING?!" Snape asked as soon as Draco was halfway to his seat. His leather pants were catching the attention of more than half of the class. Males and females were gazing at him dreamily.

Hermione knew that she would be next for questioning, so she stayed at the front of the room. She wasn't in the mood for Snape to bite her head off immediately. Draco stood stolid, in the middle of the room. Hermione knew that if she was in his position, she would be quite embarrassed. Besides, being in leather in front of a class of about 60 people would be terribly humiliating if you were anyone besides Draco Malfoy.

"…Professor Snape, they are fire-resistant pants. Hagrid is planning a Care of Magical Creatures lesson with dragons today." Draco stated coolly. Snape raised his eyebrows, and smirked. 

"Mr. Malfoy, you may sit down. Miss Granger, on the other hand, why would you be coming in at about the same time as Mr. Malfoy? It is…peculiar to see you ever late. Perhaps this has to do with a certain term quite simply called 'fraternizing with the enemy'. Ten points from Gryffindor. Take your seat, Miss Granger."

Hermione fumed for a good hour and a half. Before she knew it, Potions class was over. They'd had some sort of boring quiz. She answered the questions in about five minutes, then passed them in to Professor Snape.

Maybe, for once, the slimy git actually had a point. What was Hermione doing, chasing after Mal- Draco? Sure, he was attractive, but where was the epitome of his soul? He was charming, daring, cunning. A true lady's man. There was only physical attraction in this relationship. It wouldn't work out at all.

Hermione slowly walked back to the common room. She loathed herself for being so insecure. Oh, she never should have accepted that stupid bet! Parvati and Lavender were acting a lot more intelligent than she had even dreamed of giving them credit for. They knew that she would have second thoughts.

She took a deep breath. "My life is so bloody complicated." She said as she collapsed on the bed.

****

A/N: Okay, so nothing really happened. Sue me. I've been suffering from writer's block. Expect the next chapter pretty darn soon. If not, then you can take an angst cookie from me. *hands all reviewer a burnt cookie* Eat it. It will make you all mad at me for not updating for so long, but hey! :P Next chapter, I am foreseeing lots of snogging, and a date. Also Hermione's makeover. This chapter was more for depth than anything.

THANKS TO: Jive, MochaButterfly, FuNkY FuNkY ChIcKeN, Hype, carissa, summersun, marina, Lethal, ChibiJupiter, molly, Wesley Darkblade, Atalanta Zora, AnGeL, Archer, Crystal, Lucius, Moggit, Ryn, Lyfee, Leialoha J., Enchanted, kat, RowenaR, reitahomoeshi, summer thyme, badgrrl, LadyWendelin, kiki, Hermoine Angel, allee kat, The Soul Innocence, ALEX!, Panthre, Morvidra, M-chan, Chakita, tickle the dragon, Camille, GypsyJ, Draco's girl, Jade, Mesia, Kylie, and Lyra!

I am really really tired right now, so I can't answer everyone's comments. I love them all, mind you. James Marsters is Spike. I've seen part of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. I love the Time Warp. Billy Idol kinda looks like the guy from Sum 41. Oh yeah, everyone IS reading POTO.

Questions: _Why is Draco wearing brown leather instead of black?_

Cuz brown looks better on blondes. Besides, I kind of have a phobia of black leather for no good reason.

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Will Draco be wearing leather permanently?

He is making me type this- HECK NO! Really though, I doubt anyone would like to wear leather for more than a few days at a time. 

__

When's Hermione's makeover?

Next chapter.

__

What does Draco MEAN?!

I don't know…I'm going to have to do some quick thinking….um…he means that last night, he began to go out with her. Leather is part of the package-it's included!

I think that's it. I'm sooooo tired right now. I think I answered all of the questions, but don't kill me if I didn't. Right now I have the song "Like a Feather" by Nikka Costa stuck in my head for no good reason. I really don't like that song….

PEACE OUT, MINNA-CHAN!

~*Tigre*~


	7. I feel pretty, oh so pretty...

Money Bought- Chapter SEVEN!

By: Tigre, who else?!

A/N: Alas, the makeover chapter. J The reason why this wasn't up earlier is because I'm working on a 'novel'. Seriously…that's not some lame excuse for me to stop writing! Even though it's been 6 months! I've still been skulking around ff.n, even though I didn't review hardly anything…

Disclaimer: Don't bloody well own it.

Dedication: For nearly everyone I know that I like. ;) The ones who were forced into reading this deserve some major kudos. Hehe.

*****

Before Hermione knew it, the dreaded Saturday had rolled around. She had tried her best to prevent it, what with her begging to McGonagall to give her another Time-Turner, but there seemed to be no use. The fates were playing some cosmically cruel trick on her, and it was wearing its toll on Hermione.

Lavender and Parvati had been anticipating the day, talking in hushed whispers about what sort of makeup they were going to use. If Hermione wound up looking like some sort of possessed doll, there would be a quarrel large enough to end the bet. She had no plans of renouncing her oath to herself, however.

"What's wrong, Hermione? You've been acting strange lately…is it anything to do with the guy that Parvati and Lavender mentioned earlier?" Ron said at breakfast, in between bites of toast. 

"No, Ron, it's not. I'm just…"Hermione paused for a moment, trying to figure out the exact way to describe her situation. "I'm just stressed out right now, okay?"

A slightly hurt look glimmered in his eyes, making her feel bad. Before, she had always told him what was up. "Okay." He then turned back to Harry. The two of them whispered, probably about her. What, exactly, had she done to break up the trio like this? It made her feel a bit queasy. With the weight of having a god-awful makeover performed in a few hours, Hermione had best decided that she go back to the common room and take a breather.

***

After a morning full of nothing but enjoying herself, Hermione had to float down to earth and face the horrible truth. She had been lounging on an overstuffed couch, reading a book about werewolves and impossible love. At times like these, she felt like she was trapped in some sort of box meant for animals, with two brainless trainers forever ordering her around. Sometimes, it did feel awfully nice, not having to make your own decisions…

"Hey, Hermione, are you going to get ready for your date or not?" The voice was familiar, she knew that much. Hermione looked around the room frantically, trying to figure out who it was. He- it definitely was a he- was hiding from her. How annoying. It was impossible for her to detect who exactly had said that; all of the boys she knew sounded nearly the same.

She rolled her eyes in frustration. As if she didn't have enough things to deal with already! She finally noticed a few strands of silver hair peeking out from behind a door. Oh crap. Draco had come at a very bad time.

"Malfoy, what are you doing here? And how did you get in?" Hermione was sure that the passwords of Hogwarts wouldn't be easily figured out. He had some help with discovering the Gryffindor password.

"I came here," he said, stepping out of the shadows, "to see you. Now, don't get all mushy on me. Really, I'm not here for some strange snogging session. We need to talk about terms of payment." He plopped down next to her on the couch.

"Payment? I don't have any galleons right now…"

"No, you twit. I wasn't talking about _that _sort of payment, although I'll be expecting the money by the end of the month. Tax returns are due, you know. I need…something priceless from you. Nothing material, just figurative. Spite me somehow."

"Why? That wasn't in our agreement."

"I'm doing a service by showing _myself _in public with _you_. Surely, I shall need some extra compensation, more than I ask from my other customers. You're the most regular; you take up the most of my time. Otherwise, if I don't get what I want, the date will be off and you will have to pay me double for my services."

"You wouldn't." Hermione was appalled. How dare he threaten to raise the price? If the date wouldn't happen, she would lose the bet to Parvati and Lavender. That would deflate her self-esteem greatly. She hated to lose.

"I would. I've already got enough blackmail on you, nearly enough that your money is almost worthless to me in comparison."

"What do you truly want from me? You don't want my money, none of my possessions…is it that you wish to take my soul, my heart, my very essence?"

He shook his head and grinned. "This." He closed his knowing gray eyes and began to kiss her. Hermione certainly hadn't been expecting _that._ She leaned closer into his strong embrace, trying to seize the moment. It didn't matter that there were no mutual feelings involved; all that mattered was the impulsive, naturally sweet magic of the kiss. 

After a few moments, they moved away from each other. Hermione was the one who spoke first. They were both trying hard to catch their breath.

"I thought you said that you weren't here for a snogging session."

"I'm not. I needed emotional payment. Like I said before, why would I need your galleons in advance when I've already acquired a small fortune? My business _is _doing quite well. Anyway, the date is still on, correct?"

"Yeah. It's going to be at 6, okay?" That's three hours from now."

"I wouldn't expect any other time from Granger-the-perfect. After all, it's sixth-year Hogsmeade time. I know a place where virtually no one from Hogwarts goes. I'll wait here while you get ready."

"But that's three bloody hours, Malfoy. Don't you have anything better to do with your time?"

"No."  
****

Hermione shook her head as she paced down the hallway. She was beginning to get confused with what she felt for Draco. One minute he seemed the arrogant brat he'd been when she had first minute, but the next he could be extremely romantic. The two attributes cancelled each other out. Draco had the most contradicting personality of anyone that she had ever known.

In nearly no time at all, she had reached her dorm. Parvati and Lavender were wearing white smocks over their expensive muggle clothing, so as to not get any makeup on them. This was it.

"Hermione, where have you been? We've been waiting!" Lavender spun Hermione around slowly, displaying her so that Parvati could see. She picked up a wild piece of tangled brown hair. "Tsk! Look at this! We'll need all of the beauty products in Hogwarts to make her look beautiful!"

"You brought it on yourself…" Hermione muttered in a singsong voice. She looked at herself in the large illuminated mirror. She didn't think that she looked _that _bad, actually. Her hair was frizzing up a bit, but it wasn't as coarse as it could be. Her eyes were aglow with the spark that comes from being freshly kissed.

Ignoring her last comment, Parvati motioned for her to sit down in a chair. She draped a bed sheet over her, as to not get her practical outfit dirty. Parvati suddenly thought better of it, and took the bed sheet off again.

"First things first, you're going to have to choose a new outfit." Parvati frowned at Hermione's plain black robes. "Is that all you have in your closet?" 

"Yes, pretty much."

Parvati flung open the wardrobe's doors. There were quite a few black robes, some a little more formal than others. For a second, she thought that she might have been in Professor Snape's wardrobe, since they were both fond of black. She rolled her eyes. Didn't Hermione have any taste at all? She saw a little piece of silk in the corner of the dark closet. She took it out, curious. It was a pretty indigo color, modeled into a tee shirt. It would be a little casual for the occasion, but it would do.

"Hermione, does this fit?" Parvati examined the tee shirt more closely. There was a black rose lightly embossed in the middle of it. Hermione nodded, but winced. The tee shirt was a little too tight for her liking, but she would do anything just to survive the bet.

"Pav, she's gotta have some cool pants, too! I'll pick them out. Hermione, do you have any jeans?"

"At home, yeah, but here I've just got skirts." 

"You can borrow some of mine, dear. I've worn them one too many times." Parvati said. She fished out a tight, dark blue pair of pants from the bottom of her drawer. They looked nearly new. Everyone at Hogwarts knew the Patils had money, it was apparent just in the way that they walked.

"Thank you." Hermione grimaced. Was it really worth changing her style just for money? She quickly changed into the outfit, upset at the way that it fit on her. The shirt looked fine, although it had shrunk from the last time that she had worn it, but the pants were horrible. They clung heavily to her legs. She felt like a little girl again, wearing purple leggings that she deemed beautiful. 

"Quit worrying about your appearance, Hermione. You look fine. Most girls would kill to look like you, but all you do is hide I those drab robes." Lavender picked up a pair of scissors. "Pav, let's get to work!"

"Okay! So we're going to give her a trim?"

Hermione protectively held on to her long hair. "You're not going to cut it; I won't let you…" she whispered boldly.

"Just shut up and close your eyes. Lav, you take the left side. I'll take the right." Hermione distinctly heard the sharp sound of scissors chopping off hair. She winced as she felt the cool scissors press against her head. She hoped that neither of the girls slipped while cutting and gouged a hole in the middle of her scalp.

Within fifteen minutes, they were done with the hair cutting. They placed her head under a fountain, and poured gobs of rose-scented shampoo onto Hermione's wiry hair. It took half a bottle of conditioner to smooth out every bump in her neglected hair.

While sitting underneath a magically powered hair dryer, Lavender and Parvati began to apply something cold to her face. It was foundation. Hermione cringed as she remembered the Halloween long ago when she had used foundation. Because of that, she had made a vow to herself never to wear makeup again.

"You think that the shade's too yellow, Pav?"

"Not really. But if you want, toss a little baby powder on there and rub it in." Hermione was scared. How could her face be too yellow? Did it look like she had some sort of liver disease?

Around a minute later, there was something sweeping across her eye. It tickled, but Hermione didn't dare move. Eyeshadow could be hard to remove sometimes. She didn't think that she'd have the patience to wait for them to do her eyes all over again.

"Hermione, you're going to have to look up for the mascara."

She went along with Parvati's orders, and focused on a little crack in the ceiling. The mascara felt like creeping spiders being glued to her eyelashes. She tried to blink, but found it would be impossible until the gunk dried.

The other cosmetics were applied. Lavender and Parvati worked with steady hands, never poking her throughout the process. They were squealing with joy at their makeover.

"Oh my God, I can't even tell that she was once Hermione!" Lavender squeaked.

"I know, Hermione, take a look at yourself in the mirror."

Hermione hastily opened one eye, then the next. Her mouth dropped open in shock. The once-wily tendrils of hair had been softened into waves, although it was still slightly curly. The length had been reduced to her shoulders instead of the middle of her back. Her face was, for once, blemish-free, done up in soft berry tones.

Hermione had to admit it. She looked gorgeous. Was this person in the mirror even she anymore? The true Hermione had no need for beauty; it got in the way of being practical. Even though this variation of her would attract more boys, it would attract the wrong type. Boys that were as shallow as Draco Malfoy.

"You like?" Parvati and Lavender asked in unison. Hermione nodded, just to shut them up. She stole a quick glance at the clock. It was nearing 5:30. The date would be at six, but she didn't think that Draco would care if she showed up earlier.

Hermione grasped the doorknob on her way out, but stopped to say something. "Oh, Parvati?"

"Yeah?"

"You said that if Draco and I kissed, you would add an extra two galleons for every one."

"Your point…?"

"We've already kissed- twice. Add 4 galleons to the total." Hermione didn't even give them a chance to respond. She left the room abruptly, beginning to look forward to her date with Draco.

***

The walk back was much too slow for her liking. She was a bit eager to see what Draco thought of all this. Although she still didn't like him, she thought that he had pretty good taste in clothes and makeup. It didn't hurt that he was a good kisser, either. Who knew, asking him might add the only bit of fun to her day.

She peered into the common room. Draco was the only one in there. He looked extremely bored. She noticed that his outfit. It was simply a gray sweater with black pants. He seemed to finally be ending his craze for leather.

He grinned at her as she walked in. "Well, well, if it isn't Granger-the-perfect. She seems to have lost her goody-goody attitude, and wants the Billy Idol look-alike to help her find it."

Hermione slapped her hand on her head. During those 2 ½ hours of torture, she had forgotten what a snob Draco could be. "Malfoy, how would you know about Billy Idol? He's a bloody muggle. And…I'm not a goody-goody." With that, she fell on the couch. Draco watched her with amused eyes.

"My, Granger, you underestimate me. I like some muggle music. To be honest, you _are_ a goody-goody, because I'd never thought I'd see the day when you dressed up like Britney bloody Spears!" He laughed quirkily. "It doesn't suit you well, though." Hesitantly, he ran a hand over Hermione's silky hair. The connection sent a chill down her spine. His eyes were locked on hers the entire time, gold meshing with silver, sun with moon, warm with cold…

Draco moved closer again, his lips nearly touching hers. "Hermione," he whispered. He didn't need to say anything else. Draco had -sort of- complied with her demands in a weird way. His eyes were melting like icebergs with every moment that passed. They gradually shut. His cool hand tilted her chin up, the other still running over her hair. Hermione closed her eyes too, expecting fireworks to appear the moment that their lips touched. 

"Hermione? And MALFOY? BLOODINESS!" Ron roared. Harry soon entered the common room after him, chessboard in hand. 

"What in the blazes is going on here?" Ron and Harry stared down the other duo, who had stopped flirting. This was definitely going to take some explaining from Hermione. The problem was, could she finish it in time for Hogsmeade? Or would the boys kill each other first?

***

A/N: Finally, after six long months, the chapter is done! *..* I hope you all enjoyed it…to be honest, I wrote this chapter in a day, although it took another day to type it up. *Giggles* I'm so proud of this! I decided that I'd better get my butt in gear before I received more reviews that said "are you going to continue?" Well, folks, I am! 

THANKS TO: SugarHigh, Stepherz, Lisa, Samantha, mocha butterfly, ShojoAngel, SpiDer-ruLer2040, princessglitti, Seiki, Julia, Calypso in Love, naavi, Chunsa, Rosandra May aka Lillian, dracosluva, angel_faerei32, Princess Aiko, Mione G, Caetlin Veermer, Nemi Genn, porky pop, LilyAyl, Venus Saturnalia, anonymous, Sandy716, Mae, Alanna Roseguard, Kristina, DaSajinPan, Sarah Malfoy, Fire Goddess, lilith witch, hermioneG89, Piea, kring, Cheetah, Blue ink, Megan, Draco Malfoy's kitten, Crystal, silenced eyes, Jessie, IcyStormz, ChibiJupiter, tickle the dragon, Jordan, Protector Kristina, Alicia Malfoy, V lynne, J.J. Alan, SoleilPetal, Juliet, mafylover, Ally-sama, MochaButterfly, Camille,. Kacella, Callisto Callipsi, Claire, Night Spirit, Wendelin the Weird, DLJEWEL, Jessica, summer thyme, Vegeta's Goddess, Atalanta Zora, the oreo of love, strange vision, and Archer!

Please R and R!


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